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Newsletter 14 May 2021 Learn, Laugh, Live

T i s l i k e t h e b i r t h d a y o f t h e w o r l d ,

W h e n e a r t h w a s b o r n i n b l o o m ;

T h e l i g h t i s m a d e o f m a n y d y e s ,

T h e a i r i s a l l p e r f u m e :

T h e r e ' s c r i m s o n b u d s , a n d w h i t e a n d b l u e ,

T h e v e r y r a i n b o w s h o w e r s

H a v e t u r n e d t o b l o s s o m s w h e r e t h e y f e l l ,

A n d s o w n t h e e a r t h w i t h f l o w e r s . "

- T h o m a s H o o d

Chairman ’s Message Dear Members,

O the month of May, the merry month of May !

Well, I hope it is for you all.

I do believe we have much to celebrate as well as much to reflect on over the past months and weeks. It has been a

difficult time for all of us but we now have something to look forward to. We can meet outdoors and soon indoors. All

those “doors” will soon be open to us, to enjoy our activities with each others company and to our friendship. After all

isn’t that exactly why we all joined SU3A.

I would like to thank you for reading my recent emails, for responding to me with your thoughts. If some of you have

joined the various interests, then it has been worthwhile sending out this information.

Now, do not forget Wednesday June 2nd. Why, what’s so special about Wednesday 2nd of June?

It’s NATIONAL u3a DAY . We, the Committee and some “volunteer” members will be in the car park outside, or very

near to, Somerton Library between 9am and 1pm. You will not be able to miss us in our blue and yellow livery ! We

really do hope to see as many of you as possible to celebrate this day. Please bring along your friends and neighbours,

we would love to meet them and encourage them to join Su3a.

Judi

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Group News Craft group Amanda Hooper

After six fairly straightforward monthly challenges, possibly this month’s was the most challenging.... An Easter egg or vase in the style of Clarice Cliff. We are also working on a longer term collaborative project of “Seasons”....here are our pieces of work so far for “Spring” as a digital collage.

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Group News Bird Watching

PHOTOS TAKEN AT LODMOOR IN DORSET

AND SOMERTON BY DICK CARLYON

Oystercatchers

Water rail, usually very hard to see in the reeds

Blackbird

Long-tailed

tit

Blue-tit

Woodpecker

Kingfisher

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The Kon Tiki expedition took place in 1947.

1. Who led the expedition and what was he trying to prove?

2. Kon Tiki was a raft. What was it built of and how was the design made?

3. How far did Kon Tiki travel? What is the name of the island where it landed?

4. How many people sailed on the raft? What food did they carry?

5. Nowadays anthropologists think Polynesians did not arrive from South America. Where did they come from?

History Group...KON TIKI QUIZ Nancy Schooling

Group News

Raspberry Pi and Science & Technology Groups

Both S&T and Raspberry Pi remain active on Zoom.

The Somerton u3a Jazz Appreciation Group ...so far

S&T Our next 3 meetings are as follows: 24th March at 10.00 - All about viruses, and testing for them 22nd April at 10.00 - Computer memory, the history and current technology 27th May at 10.00 - Treating COVID patients

Raspberry Pi Group Meet by Zoom every Tuesday at 10.00. This ‘geekish’ group of retired engineers have recently been looking at the latest Raspberry Pi computer launched a month ago and costing just £3.60. We have already built a spirit level which displays its angle, however we need to learn more about this new computer so we can write software for the more advanced features.

John Light Group leader

The group finally got under way on the 29th November 2019 following various publicity attempts at the Somerton U3A 4th Friday meetings, and a pub meeting on 25th October with an attendance of just five of us.

Although subject to change now and then, the sessions will be held on the third Friday of every month.

Attendance had been around 7 or 8 from a potential membership of 13.

We have had some very absorbing sessions covering a very wide range of jazz, listening to CDs, records, minidiscs (yes that old-fashioned media) and some DVD films on the TV.

Some members are very keen on trad, others prefer big bands and ”middle of the road” while others prefer more “modern” musicians, however all seemed to enjoy most of the music played even if it was initially a little out of their comfort zone.

Some of us have attended some live concerts and festivals and will try to arrange some as soon as Covid allows.

From very new beginnings and with some trepidation, the group progressed well and new members and visitors will always be welcome.

A revival meeting will be held as soon as we are allowed, probably on a Friday afternoon at 14:00.

The future might work as a mix of Zoom and live gatherings.

David Munns

Evening

Readers

Group Last month the Evening

Readers group chose to

read a selection of

detective/thriller books.

Mary Beth Greenop

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Tributes to Margaret Schofield

Margaret was one of the first people we met when Carol and I joined Somerton U3A and she was part of our lives when we lived in Westport. She epitomised the spirit of Somerton U3A with her warm welcome in her groups and her enthusiasm for life. We spent some time on the committee with her, attended her music and singing groups, went to jazz and a lunch group with her and we also went to some jazz lunches in our local pub The Old Barn Owl. I will always remember Margaret as one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure to socialise with and can honestly say she gave us both some very happy times in her groups. Roy Sanders

Very sadly, Margaret Schofield passed away unexpectedly on March 8th. She had

been unwell for a few weeks and had been in Yeovil and Musgrove Park hospitals.

She was a driving force behind Singing for Fun until a few years ago and she was

still guiding us through Music Appreciation. She was also the force that spurred me

into starting the Opera Appreciation group, of which she was an enthusiastic

member.

Despite her setbacks in 2019 she always greeted us with a smile, a laugh and a

merry word.

She will be sadly missed. Enid Thresher

We have fond memories of

Margaret as one of the first

people to welcome us to

Somerton. We joined her u3a

Singing For Fun group and also

met her at Somerton Sings.

Margaret was a gifted pianist

with a love of musicals and a

great knowledge of music. She

will be missed.

Marilyn and Paul Muffett

Margaret was lovely lady, always friendly and cheerful, in any given situation, as she said, “Well, people wouldn’t want to know you if you were miserable about things”. She also gave much pleasure to many people all the years she ran the ‘Singing for Fun’ group. She will be badly missed by her many friends. How sad it is that we haven’t been able to be with so many people who have passed away during these so restrictive times.

Let’s hope all goes well after April 12th isn’t it, that we start lifting more restrictions. Everything crossed!

Marian Mander

I came to know Margaret well, mainly through her U3A ‘Singing for Fun’ group which she founded and ran single-handed for many years. Her Music Appreciation mornings were much enjoyed by my late wife Gemma and she also was with me on many of my Charity Theatre Trips. When a few years ago Gemma came home from a Singing For Fun meeting, with the bad news that due to worsening arthritis in Margaret’s hands she was not going to be able to keep the singing group going, I offered to be her pianist which has kept the group going with Margaret still very much involved until lock-down last March. Margaret was always a pleasure to be with. Her enthusiasm and sense of fun meant so much to all of us who knew her. Chris Cox P.S. Singing For Fun will resume as soon as it become safe to meet up again.

I was very sad to hear

the news of

Margaret’s death, she

was a delightful lady

to have known.

Steve Davis

Margaret was such a special joy of a lady. I enjoyed so many years of her youthful, upbeat

attitude to life, when we all sang our hearts out in various small Somerton halls. She led with

invigorating enthusiasm, accompanying us all the piano and keeping her lovely sense of fun and

humour going throughout each session.

I will miss bumping into her, out shopping in Somerton, always with a cheery word and a hug.

A devoted and loving fan,

Monica Richmond

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Please send all articles for the Newsletter to the editor

kaywilliamson46@hotmail.com

Deadline for the June edition...20th May

No entries can be accepted after this date.

Pictures welcome, but keep script brief

Minimum formatting please...no pdfs!

Web site:https://u3asites.org.uk/somerton/home

Speaker Programme for Spring 2021…..on…..

Further details of speakers and their talks can be found on the Somerton U3A website.

https://u3asites.org.uk/somerton/events

You will be sent a reminder and a Zoom link a few days before the talk

Fri 14th May at 11.00 am

Dogs for good

Raising awareness of this assistance charity

A presentation by Rosie Blanning

Fri 28th May at 11.00 am

Japan, Bowing to tradition

A presentation by Jim Holmes

Fri Jun 11th

Time Through the Ages

Presented by John Hope

Fri Jun 25th

New Orleans to New York

Presented by Roger Browne

My apologies to all you readers out there; I was forced to take a holiday at Musgrove

Hospital for a couple of weeks ...hence no full April Newsletter and a small one this

month during my convalescence. Hopefully service will be resumed next month with

a cracking edition so don’t forget to send in those articles to Kay of what you are up

to.

Mike , co-editor